it without tears, must have a ftupid unfeeling heart. However I do not know, that any thing of the fame kind will appear in any of the following Magazines.

5. In the following, fome Pages will always be bestowed, (as was originally defigned) in proving the grand doctrine of Universal Redemption, and clearing it of all objections. But this will not take up fo large a compass as it has done in some of the preceding numbers. I do not intend that the Controversial part of any future number fhall exceed fixteen pages. By this means there will be more room for what is more to my tafte, and I believe more for the profit of the serious Reader: I mean, such Lives as contain the heighth and depth of genuine, scriptural, rational Religion.

6. There will likewise be room for inferting a longer and more particular account of some of the Preachers. Indeed I ftudiously avoid the fwelling of these accounts by circumstances that are neither useful nor entertaining. But in feveral of thofe that I have by me, there are many ftriking incidents, which deferve to be related at large particularly fuch as refpect the difficulties and dangers which they have

gone

gone through: and out of which nothing could have delivered them, but the almost miraculous Providence of God.

many

of

7. I have still abundance of Letters in my hands, equal to any that have yet been publifhed. Indeed there is a peculiar energy thought and language in of those which were wrote in the year 1758, and a few of the following years, fuitable to that unusual outpouring of the Spirit, with which both London and many parts of England and Ireland were favoured, during that happy period. Happy I cannot but call it; notwithstanding the tares which Satan found means of fowing among the wheat. And I cannot but adopt the prayer of a pious man in Scotland upon a fimilar occafion, "Lord, if it please thee, work the fame work again, without the blemishes. But if that may not be, though it be with all the blemifhes, work the fame work."

8. I have likewife ftill in my hands abundance of Verses, many of them Original. And moft of thofe which have been printed before, are fuch as very few perfons have either feen or heard of. Such are thofe in particular, which are extracted from the works of Dr.

Byrom

Byrom. It cannot be denied, that he was an uncommon Genius, a man of the fineft and strongest understanding. And yet very few, even of his Countrymen and Cotemporaries have fo much as heard his name.

9. I have again maturely confidered the objection fo frequently made from want of Variety. And in order to obviate this objection, I will fubmit to the advice of my Friends, and occasionally infert feveral little pieces, that are not immediately connected with my main defign. Only let me beg, that the variation itfelf, may not be improved into an objection: let it be remembered, that if I wander a little from my subject, it is in compliance with the judgment of my friends. It has been my manner, for nearly fifty years, when I speak or write to keep close to one point. But fo far as it can be done with innocence, I defire to become all things to all men.

10. But fome perhaps will afk, Is it not time to have done? How many more Magazines will you publish? This is a question which I am not able to answer. Humanly speaking, I have already one foot in the Grave: I ftand on the verge of Eternity.

Who

Who therefore can tell how little a time it will be till I go hence and am no more seen? But as long as I am in this tabernacle, it fhall be my endeavour by this, as by every other means, as I have opportunity, to do good unto all men, especially to them that are of the houshold of faith.

LONDON, January 1, 1780.

S

ADVERTISEMENT.

As many of my Friends have long defired to see JOHN GOODWIN'S Expofition of the ninth Chapter of the Epifle to the Romans, and as the book is become so scarce that it is feldom to be found, I judge that it will be both acceptable and profitable to them, to give an Extract of it in this, and fome following Numbers.

N..B. Only his fhort Paraphrafe is given in this Number; the Expofition itself will begin in the next.

THE

THE

Arminian Magazine,

For JANUARY 1780.

An EXPOSITION of the ninth Chapter of the Epifle to the ROMANS.

Extracted from JOHN GOODWIN.

A PARAPHRASE of the ninth Chapter of the Epifle to the Romans.

1. I fay the truth in Chrift, I lie not, my confcience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghoft,

2. That I have great heaviness and continual forrow in my heart.

FR

ROM what hath been already delivered by me, in this Epiftle, concerning Juftification by Faith, as likewife from what I fhall further add, I easily foresee that my countrymen, the Jews, will conclude, that I make them no better than Reprobates. And I am jealous, that they will judge it is VOL. III.

B

out